World of Warcraft: Forever launches globally on November 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. PST, with nine new dungeons woven into the journey toward level 60. Their intended level ranges begin at 13 with The Hall of Thanes and extend to the endgame with Blackmaw Hold and Shaper's Terrace. This WoW Forever dungeon guide lists all nine destinations, uses Blizzard's latest published level brackets and explains how to fit them into a leveling route.
Last updated: 06.10.2026. Excavation Site: Wetlands now uses the October 1 bracket of 26-31. The beta level cap is 30, and this dungeon has joined The Hall of Thanes and Ruins of Lordaeron in testing. The remaining entries retain Blizzard's published launch brackets.
WoW Forever Dungeons: Quick Answers
How many new dungeons are coming? Blizzard lists nine new dungeons for Forever's launch.
What is the first new dungeon? The Hall of Thanes has the lowest announced bracket at levels 13-18, followed by Ruins of Lordaeron at 15-20.
What level is Krol'dok Stronghold? Its corrected range is 40-45, replacing the earlier incorrect 40-55 listing.
Where is Excavation Site? Excavation Site: Wetlands is above Whelgar's Excavation in Wetlands.
Is Blackmaw Hold the same as Barrow Deeps? No. Blackmaw Hold is a level 55-60 dungeon; Barrow Deeps is a separate maximum-level raid planned for 10 players.
When do the new raids open? Blizzard's announced raid unlock date is December 9, 2026, after the November 4 game launch.
All 9 New WoW Forever Dungeons at Launch
Level brackets published by Blizzard: the table combines the Blizzard September 15 dungeon list with the October 1 update to Excavation Site: Wetlands. Locations follow the official recap and preview coverage, including Wowhead's dungeon overview. Preview locations are regional references, not verified entrance coordinates. The ranges describe intended progression, not minimum portal-entry requirements.
| Dungeon | Intended levels | Location | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hall of Thanes | 13-18 | Beneath Ironforge, Dun Morogh | Eastern Kingdoms |
| Ruins of Lordaeron | 15-20 | Lordaeron, Tirisfal Glades | Eastern Kingdoms |
| Excavation Site: Wetlands | 26-31 | Above Whelgar's Excavation, Wetlands | Eastern Kingdoms |
| City of Dalaran | 28-33 | Dalaran, Alterac Mountains | Eastern Kingdoms |
| The Drowned City | 35-40 | Off Stranglethorn Vale (preview location) | Eastern Kingdoms |
| Krol'dok Stronghold | 40-45 | The Riverglades (preview location) | Eastern Kingdoms |
| Alcaz Prison | 48-53 | Alcaz Island, northeast of Dustwallow Marsh (preview location) | Kalimdor |
| Blackmaw Hold | 55-60 | Northern Azshara (preview location) | Kalimdor |
| Shaper's Terrace | 58-60 | Un'Goro Crater | Kalimdor |
The October 1 notes supersede the September 15 range for Excavation Site: Wetlands. Krol'dok Stronghold remains 40-45; its earlier 40-55 listing was explicitly corrected by Blizzard.
For the wider game structure, the WoW Forever guide connects dungeon progression with classes, zones and the launch schedule.
Early Leveling Dungeons: Levels 13-33
The first four additions are in the Eastern Kingdoms, but proximity to your quest route still matters. Two early destinations are closely tied to faction capitals, while the next pair gives groups reasons to travel through Wetlands and the Alterac Mountains. Plan around your faction, available quests and a group that can actually reach the meeting point.
The Hall of Thanes: Levels 13-18
The Hall of Thanes takes players beneath Ironforge. Its early bracket makes it a natural dungeon to consider while an Alliance character is progressing through the surrounding regions. A group should still check its abilities and equipment before entering at the bottom of the range; level 13 identifies the start of the intended bracket, not a promise of an easy clear.
Ruins of Lordaeron: Levels 15-20
Ruins of Lordaeron offers an early adventure centered on the Forsaken reclaiming their ruined capital. It overlaps with The Hall of Thanes in level, so the two should not be treated as compulsory consecutive stops. For route planning, choose the destination that best fits the character's faction, location and current journey instead of crossing the continent simply to follow a numbered list.
Excavation Site: Wetlands: Levels 26-31
This dungeon is above Whelgar's Excavation in Wetlands. Blizzard opened it in the October 1 beta update with a 26-31 bracket, replacing the earlier 24-29 announcement. The beta cap of 30 does not change that published bracket.
City of Dalaran: Levels 28-33
City of Dalaran brings the familiar Alterac Mountains landmark into the announced dungeon roster. Its published bracket is 28-33 and overlaps with Excavation Site. Dalaran is not listed among the available dungeons in Blizzard's October 1 beta notes, so this is a launch-planning entry.
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Mid-Level Dungeons: Levels 35-53
The middle part of the list moves from Stranglethorn's coast to the Riverglades and then across to Kalimdor. These are separate regional trips, so the useful order depends on more than the lowest number in each bracket. Combine runs with nearby activities to avoid spending most of a session assembling and traveling.
The Drowned City: Levels 35-40
Preview coverage places The Drowned City in ancient troll ruins off Stranglethorn Vale; Blizzard's official overview mentions naga and pirates there. Its announced range is 35-40. Confirm the entrance route when available rather than treating the coastal description as travel instructions.
Krol'dok Stronghold: Levels 40-45
Preview coverage places Krol'dok Stronghold in the Riverglades. That makes it a possible stop during questing in the new region. Blizzard explicitly corrected its upper level from 55 to 45; use 40-45 for planning, without assuming the preview establishes an entrance route.
Alcaz Prison: Levels 48-53
Preview coverage places Alcaz Prison on Alcaz Island, northeast of Dustwallow Marsh. At 48-53, it is the first Kalimdor destination in this list by starting level. Confirm the approach before organizing a trip; a regional description does not establish the island's entrance or access requirements.
High-Level Dungeons: Blackmaw Hold and Shaper's Terrace
The last two additions overlap near level 60. They give a group more than one high-level destination, but their level ranges do not establish a mandatory order or prove that one must be completed to enter the other. Choose according to available quests, verified rewards and the group's readiness.
Blackmaw Hold: Levels 55-60
Reported in preview coverage: Blackmaw Hold is a furbolg city in northern Azshara. Blizzard's official overview confirms a corruption storyline, and its published range is 55-60. Exact entrance directions and access requirements need separate confirmation.
Shaper's Terrace: Levels 58-60
Shaper's Terrace adds a high-level dungeon in Un'Goro Crater centered on Titan mysteries. Its bracket begins later than Blackmaw Hold's, making it an option for the final stretch of leveling and subsequent gear preparation. The bracket alone does not establish a required item level or a particular best-in-slot reward.
WoW Forever Dungeon Leveling Order
The following sequence is a planning suggestion based on the announced brackets, not a measured fastest-leveling route. You do not need to complete every new dungeon on one character. A run is most useful when your level, current quests and available group all line up.
- Begin with an accessible early dungeon: consider The Hall of Thanes at 13-18 or Ruins of Lordaeron at 15-20 according to your faction and route.
- Plan the next additions from level 26: Excavation Site at 26-31 overlaps with City of Dalaran at 28-33.
- Use the late-30s and early-40s stops: fit The Drowned City at 35-40 and Krol'dok Stronghold at 40-45 around regional questing.
- Plan the Kalimdor transition: consider Alcaz Prison at 48-53 when the journey to Dustwallow Marsh fits your schedule.
- Finish with high-level runs: consider Blackmaw Hold from 55 and Shaper's Terrace from 58, adjusting for the group's actual readiness.
Several gaps remain between these brackets. Fill them through the wider leveling game rather than assuming a continuous route through only the nine new dungeons. When comparing questing with repeat runs, count recruitment, travel, recovery and failed attempts as part of the time spent.
Before choosing a role for those runs, consult the WoW Forever class changes overview and the WoW Forever class tier list. A party needs players comfortable with their responsibilities, not merely a collection of individually popular class choices.
Blackmaw Hold and the Barrow Deeps Raid
Blackmaw Hold and Barrow Deeps are separate announced instances. Blackmaw Hold is the 55-60 dungeon; Barrow Deeps is a maximum-level raid planned for 10 players. The dungeon's level bracket does not describe the raid.
The announced raid unlock date is December 9, after the November 4 launch. This gives the initial leveling period a separate purpose: reaching the cap, learning your role and preparing with a group. The WoW Forever roadmap tracks that schedule.
The announcements cited here do not establish a shared entrance, an attunement quest, a required key or a rule requiring a Blackmaw Hold clear before Barrow Deeps. Verify those access details separately before planning raid preparation around them.
Dungeon Groups, Quests and Loot
A useful dungeon plan starts with a purpose: completing quests, learning an instance or pursuing a verified upgrade. The October 1 update reduced the extra XP from dungeon quests above normal quest values by 50%; it did not say that their entire XP reward was halved. Account for current quest rewards when comparing routes.
Confirmed by Blizzard: the Forever Deep Dive keeps threat management and crowd control important in dungeon combat. It also describes reworked dungeon itemization and advanced profession Blueprint recipes that can drop from specific dungeon bosses. These system announcements do not identify every new dungeon's individual drops.
- Agree on responsibilities: identify who leads pulls, handles healing, controls extra enemies and interrupts dangerous casts when suitable abilities are available.
- Prepare before traveling: repair, clear bag space and bring the supplies your character needs.
- Check quest progress: compare the group's available objectives before starting so missing prerequisites are discovered early.
- Discuss loot: distinguish upgrades for the role being played from secondary equipment needs before an item drops.
Blizzard's October 1 beta list includes The Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron and Excavation Site: Wetlands among the new dungeons, alongside several returning instances. The other six additions are absent from that availability list. Beta observations still require build-specific checks; bosses, quests and loot from other WoW versions cannot fill gaps in Forever data.
If your group needs help completing a particular instance once the relevant service is available, check the WoW Forever dungeon carry service for its scope. Specify the dungeon and your objective rather than assuming that completion includes a particular item or quest reward.
WoW Forever Dungeons FAQ
The most useful distinctions are between intended levels and entry restrictions, faction-oriented locations and confirmed access rules, and dungeons and raids. Those distinctions prevent an announcement table from becoming a misleading travel or progression checklist.
How Many New Dungeons Does WoW Forever Have?
Blizzard lists nine new dungeons for launch. That number describes the new additions, not a claim that Forever's entire dungeon roster contains only nine instances.
What Is the First New Dungeon in WoW Forever?
The Hall of Thanes has the earliest intended bracket at 13-18. Ruins of Lordaeron follows at 15-20 and is the early destination associated with the Forsaken reclaiming Lordaeron.
Do the Dungeon Level Ranges Mean You Cannot Enter Later?
The published table gives intended level brackets; it does not announce upper-level entry bans. Treat these numbers as progression guidance and check actual portal restrictions separately as beta testing expands.
Are The Hall of Thanes and Ruins of Lordaeron Faction-Locked?
Their locations favor different factions: The Hall of Thanes is beneath Ironforge, while Ruins of Lordaeron follows a Forsaken storyline. That does not establish a hard faction lock. The official sources cited here do not provide a complete opposite-faction access guide; confirm the route and available quests before traveling.
Is Krol'dok Stronghold Level 40-55 or 40-45?
Its corrected intended range is 40-45. Blizzard's September 15 clarification explicitly supersedes the earlier incorrect 40-55 listing.
Is Blackmaw Hold a Dungeon or a Raid?
Blackmaw Hold is a dungeon for levels 55-60. Barrow Deeps is a separate maximum-level raid planned for 10 players. Blizzard's announced opening date for the new raids is December 9, 2026.
Conclusion
The value of Forever's new dungeons will come from how naturally they become part of a character's journey. Use the level list to spot opportunities, then choose runs that fit your quests, group and available time. A well-planned visit with people who want the same kind of run is a better foundation than treating all nine names as boxes to rush through.
